How do people handle post-apocalyptic and how do they get past the point of that? Christine Benner Dixon, Ph.D. tackles this question through her Writers Read of “The Height of Land.”
Benner is a teacher, poet, editor, and novelist living in Pittsburgh, PA. A 2004 graduate of EMU, Benner’s writing has appeared in Literary Hub, Appalachian Review, and elsewhere. She also served as the interim executive director of Write Pittsburgh from 2023 to 2024. Her prize-winning debut novel, “The Height of Land,” which was selected by Tania James, was winner of the Orison fiction prize. Benner tells us that communal singing was a big part of her life and was raised in a religious home and community. She poured herself into faith, but realized that God cannot hold all of her needs.
Benner opened up her writer’s read by reading a passage from her book that sort of says that being in charge is just an illusion even for God. Thriving and surviving an apocalypse comes from serving the community, sharing the knowledge you have with your neighbor, and devoting yourself to making sure everyone thrives. The book is set in Church River, where people sing together, but aren’t worshiping or of some distant deity but instead hymns and lullabies that celebrate devotion to their community and not to a god. This is what draws them together and keeps them safe. The book gives us a glimpse about a character named Red, and the yearning inside of him. Benner began with chapter 3 of her book where Red is getting some work done on a family farm before he departs on a trip to the city the next day with his older brother Dusk. The things that are talked about in the book are human stories about God, and Modern people having all religious knowledge & creating a sort of new religion. Benner pointed out that Red’s process is going another way than hers about God, emphasizing that souls are the part of us that doesn’t die. An interesting thought that came from Benner was that everything dies, even gods, and that there is nothing beautiful about death. The story goes on to tell us to honor the hearts of those who meant well, and that the consequences of actions are the same whether they are the words of God or of the Devil.
The event ended with a time of questions and thoughts from the audience. One question that an audience member asked was the relationship and connection to the characters between them and her. Benner said, “Every character has a bit about me or fear about myself,” and, “The characters are more grounded and courageous than me.” Benner was then asked about the meaning of post-post-apocalyptic, where she asked the audience, “How do people get past the point of post-apocalypse?” She then went on to tell us that the way to survive and thrive is to come together as a community and to teach and learn from each other; this is what carries us through.
The way towards thriving and surviving through a post-apocalypse such as climate change comes from community, devoting oneself for the greater good, and the continuation of prayer anyway while not worrying about what others have to say. Benner gives words of hope and gives her thoughts on the meaning of the role of gardening: “Beauty finds us.”
